McDonald s Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Report

Transcription

1 2012 McDonald s Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Report

2 CONTENTS 1. Message from the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer 2. Our business 3. Food and nutrition 4. Sustainable supply chain 5. Environmental responsibility 6. Employment and training 7. Community contribution 8. External initiatives 9. GRI Index Message from the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer In 2011 we celebrated 40 years of McDonald s in Australia. This milestone has given us the opportunity to reflect on our achievements over that time and marvel at the changes in our business and in our customers expectations and attitudes. With lattes, wraps, salads and muffins now popular menu items, the food range Australians enjoy at McDonald s has changed significantly in the last forty years. Traditional favourites such as the Big Mac and Cheeseburger remain as popular as ever but Australians appetite for variety continues to grow. This year we introduced lamb to the menu to offer even more options for our customers. In recent years the community has increasingly come to expect transparency and open, two-way communication from businesses. We ve learned that without it myths and rumours have the potential to abound. Today we are focused on being transparent and asking for feedback. This Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Report is one of the ways in which we regularly do this. This year we were also excited to take a new approach to opening up our business to public scrutiny. We commissioned an independent production company to produce a behind the scenes television documentary about our operations. McDonald s Get s Grilled screened to over a million viewers in April and I think it quashed some of the popular myths about our food supply and cooking procedures. We are proud of our business, and confident that giving our customers and other stakeholders a greater insight into our operations can only improve our relationship with them. Our commitment to giving back to the community has not changed over the past 40 years. Giving back by business to the community was rare in the seventies and community groups were often surprised by our desire to help. Now, quite rightly, customers expect their favourite brands to be contributing to our society and giving something back to the communities in which they operate. Between our franchisees and the corporate business, hundreds of millions of dollars have been donated to sporting groups, charities and community organisations over the past 40 years. McDonald s was a founding partner of Ian Kiernan s Clean up Australia Day in the eighties, but even with this interest in looking after our environment I don t think the business back then would have ever expected our current focus on operating sustainably. So much has changed - our packaging, our use of electricity and water, our building materials and our waste disposal - and we keep on improving. Our current focus is on recycling waste and building our restaurants from sustainable materials. They are exciting new developments and I know that there are more to come. This continues to be an area of opportunity and focus for us. McDonald s success over the past 40 years is entirely due to our people our crew, restaurant managers, franchisees and corporate employees. Some of these people have been part of the McDonald s team for a good portion of these 40 y ears myself included and for many others McDonald s has been a platform from which to launch their careers in all types of industries. Our 40th anniversary provided the impetus to look up people who began their careers with us and see how their McDonald s training helped launch their careers. We ve been proud to see the range of people who can attribute some of their career success to the start they received in a McDonald s restaurant. Thank you for your interest in McDonald s and we look forward to the next 40 years. Catriona Noble Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer 1

3 McDonald s and its franchisees employ 90,000 Australians which is equivalent to 7% of workers in the Australian café, restaurants and takeaway food services sector. Some 3,000 new jobs were created in 2012 as a result of new restaurant development. There are 869 McDonald s restaurants across Australia. More than 1.7 million customers visit McDonald s restaurants in Australia every day. The economic contribution of McDonald s Australia to the national economy is equivalent to 0.2 per cent of Australia s GDP. 2 Our business 2 3

4 About McDonald s Australia The McDonald s story started in 1955 in Chicago, Illinois USA when Ray Kroc opened the first franchised McDonald s restaurant. There are now 33,000 McDonald s restaurants in 119 countries around the world serving nearly 68 million customers on average every day. Some 80 per cent of these restaurants are owned and operated locally by almost 5,000 business men and women. The first McDonald s restaurant opened in Australia in the western suburbs of Sydney in There are now (as at 31 December 2011) 869 McDonald s restaurants across Australia serving more than 1.7 million customers every day. There are 62 more restaurants in Australia now than listed in our last report which reflected restaurant numbers as at 31 December relationships At the heart of McDonald s operations lies a trio of essential players: franchisees, suppliers and employees. We refer to the close interdependency of these three players as a the threelegged stool. The stool forms the foundation of the business and represents our greatest strength as a company. We are committed to ensuring sustainable and profitable relationships with all of our partners so it is critical to our business that our franchisees, suppliers and employees all benefit from the growth of the McDonald s business. This is evidenced by the fact that many of our supplier relationships date back to the opening of the first McDonald s restaurants in Australia. We have some 9,000 suppliers in Australia and we are committed to ensuring all suppliers benefit from their relationship with McDonald s. About this report This is the fourth Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Report from McDonald s Australia. The first report was published in December This report primarily focuses on the activities and results achieved in 2011 and 2012 but it also includes highlights from previous years. All data and financial reporting is from the 2011 calendar year unless otherwise stated. The content of the report is limited to the activities and responsibilities of McDonald s in Australia, with reference to McDonald s Global only where there is a direct impact on the Australian operation. It has been developed with reference to the Global Reporting Initiative G3.1 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. See Page 67 for an index detailing the specific requirements of the Global Reporting Initiative guidelines. The choice of content has been determined with reference to our stakeholders areas of interest and focuses on the subjects that have the greatest impact on our franchise partners, suppliers, employees, customers and neighbours. The key external stakeholders that we anticipate will use this report include Australian based government authorities, dietitians and nutritionists, education and employment organisations, environmental organisations, business partners and media plus our customers who are demonstrating an increasing interest in our sustainability performance. McDonald s in Australia is a franchise operation with almost three quarters of the restaurants owned and operated by Australian small business people. Each of these restaurant owners have the freedom and flexibility to run their restaurants as they see appropriate within the framework set down by McDonald s Australia. While this system has many benefits it does present issues for this type of reporting, therefore, some of the data in this report reflects the operations of company owned restaurants only. Other data is estimated based on actual information from company owned restaurants and the data that we would expect from franchised restaurants. The nature of the specific information is indicated throughout the report. While data in this report, at times, only reflects company owned stores, the practices outlined apply to all restaurants Australia wide. McDonald s Australia Limited is an unlisted Australian public company limited by shares. It is a franchise business with more than 70 per cent of the restaurants in Australia owned and operated by individual, local business men and women. The remainder of the restaurants are run by company staff. Most franchisees enter into a 20 year agreement with McDonald s and many own and operate more than one restaurant. The franchise structure allows our restaurants to meet the needs of their individual communities within a framework that ensures high safety, quality and accountability standards. McDonald s and our franchisees employ approximately 90,000 people in restaurants and management offices across Australia. STATE NSW/act qld/nt sa TAS vic WA total corporate franchisee total *As at 31 December 2011 number and distribution of restaurants* McDonald s commitment to using local suppliers has a substantial economic impact in Australia. In response to McDonald s growth and with the addition of new menu items many suppliers have made major investments in new facilities to manage the increasing volumes required by our restaurants. The McDonald s franchise model also provides positive economic benefits by providing business opportunities for Australians. Currently some 258 Australians are running their own businesses as McDonald s franchisees. The franchising model encourages entrepreneurial skill within a proven business model and McDonald s assists franchisees to build long term, profitable businesses. 4 5

5 Economic contribution Corporate governance As a significant employer, purchaser, retailer and franchisor in Australia, we know we have a responsibility to add value and contribute to the local economy and to the communities in which we operate. To quantify the contribution McDonald s restaurants make at a national, state and local level, in 2011 we commissioned AECOM, an independent provider of economic modelling, to assess our contribution. Their report found that the economic contribution of McDonald s Australia is equivalent to 0.2 per cent of Australia s gross domestic product. The outcomes of the modelling also highlighted McDonald s contribution to a broad range of industries. McDonald s most significant expenditure is in the following areas: $1.1 billion annually on the manufacturing of food, paper products, utilities, and business support services. $1 billion on wages annually across 90,000 full time, part time and casual staff members. $112 million annually on construction due to the building of new restaurants, remodelling of existing restaurants, including the cost of furniture and equipment. The key results of the modelling demonstrated that for every $1 of McDonald s output, 79 cents of value is added in other industries. In addition for every $1 million in sales, 11.1 persons will be employed across all industries. The report also looked at the difference between metropolitan and regional restaurants and their individual contribution. AECOM found that depending on the location and size of the restaurant, each McDonald s restaurant contributes between $1.2 million and $4.9 million to their metropolitan or regional economy. Each new restaurant brings with it local employment and training for approximately 100 to 120 people in full time, part time and casual positions but the effect of the restaurant on employment is broader than just those employed to work in the restaurant. According to the AECOM report, each restaurant creates between 21 and 88 full time equivalent jobs depending on the size and location of the restaurant. This includes people employed by the restaurant as well as those employed by suppliers and other service providers. Many of our restaurants are located in country towns and regional centres creating employment opportunities where they are often most needed and the wages bill for an average restaurant is in the vicinity of $1 million. This income enters the local economy as employees make purchases and pay taxes. New restaurants and 24/ 7 trading We conduct extensive and continuous customer research and convenience is something Australians tell us is increasingly important to them. They tell us convenience is about having a restaurant close by and knowing that it will always be open. As a result of ongoing business growth and this consumer insight, we are expanding our development program. During 2012 and 2013 we anticipate opening 70 new restaurants across Australia amounting to a capital investment value of approximately $210 million. We are also moving more of our restaurants to 24 hour trading, seven days a week. McDonald s is committed to conducting business ethically and in compliance with the letter and spirit of the law. This commitment is reflected in our values. Inherent in each value is our commitment to be ethical, truthful and dependable and this is reflected through our Standards of Business Conduct which serves as a guide to making good decisions and conducting business ethically. McDonald s success is built on a foundation of personal and professional integrity and these guidelines apply to all salaried employees worldwide, including restaurant managers. The complete Standards of Business Conduct for Australian employees can be read at Our values We place the customer experience at the core of all we do. Our customers are the reason for our existence. We demonstrate our appreciation by providing them with high quality food and superior service, in a clean, welcoming environment, at great value. Our goal is outstanding quality, service, cleanliness and value (QSC&V) for each customer every time. We are committed to our people. We provide opportunity, recognise talent and develop leaders. We believe that a diverse team of well-trained individuals working together in an environment that fosters respect and drives high levels of engagement is essential to our continued success. We believe in the McDonald s system. The McDonald s business model, depicted by the three-legged stool of franchisees, suppliers and company employees, is our foundation, and the balance of interests among the three groups is key. When employees start work at McDonald s Australia they receive a copy of the Standards of Business Conduct and they are asked to sign a form certifying that they have read and agree to abide by them. They are subsequently asked to recertify on an annual basis. Behaving ethically is the responsibility, and our expectation, of all McDonald s Australia employees and is a fundamental aspect of our organisation s culture. This is guided by the policies, direction and behaviour set by the leadership team as well as the written Standards document. We operate our business ethically. Sound ethics is good business. At McDonald s, we hold ourselves and conduct our business to the highest possible standards of fairness, honesty and integrity. We are individually accountable and collectively responsible. We give back to our communities. We take seriously the responsibilities that come with being a leader. We help our customers build better communities, support Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), and leverage our size, scope and resources to help make the world a better place. We are committed to sustainable business practices and are determined to conduct our operations in a manner that does not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their needs. We grow our business profitably. Our stakeholders support our ability to serve our customers. In return, we work to provide sustained, profitable growth for all members of our System and our investors. We strive continually to improve. We consider ourselves a learning organisation that is green and growing and that anticipates and responds to changing customer, employee, System and community needs through constant evolution and innovation. 6 7

6 to maximise the positive impact we can have on society. We work hard to understand the complex issues that confront our business and industry, and how we can make a significant difference. include surveys and research, one on one communication and meetings and our participation in forums, conferences and exhibitions. Local leadership Catriona Noble continues as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of McDonald s Australia. Catriona has worked for McDonald s Australia for over 28 years after starting as a casual crew member when she was 14 years old. The McDonald s Australia Board consists of the following McDonald s Australia employees: Catriona Noble, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Helen Nash, Chief Operating Officer Joanne Taylor, Chief Restaurant Support Officer Craig Cawood, General Counsel Andrew Gregory, Chief Financial Officer The McDonald s Australia Board works hand in hand with a body of elected franchisees from across the country. As at 2012 the McDonald s Australia National Business Group of franchisees includes: NSW Ian Garton, Craig Evans, Hani Sidaros, Kerry Gordon VIC Ken Turner, Tony Kitto, Chris Carroll QLD Adam Dando, Steve Flook, Tony Ward SA Mark Dutschke, Graham Delbridge WA Richard Hill, Nick Agostino The Board reports to the President Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, McDonald s Corporation who in turns reports into McDonald s Australia National Business Group 2012 with McDonald s Australia Board members. McDonald s Corporation senior management in the US. In this way, the operation of McDonald s Australia is governed by the global McDonald s System. This System is decentralised providing great freedom for individual countries to operate the business to best suit the needs of their customers within a framework that ensures each market adheres to the same core values, principles and standards. Our responsibility From the beginning, we ve been a company committed to doing the right thing. Corporate responsibility and sustainability is part of our heritage and dates back to our founder, Ray Kroc. Long before the terms became popular, Ray Kroc saw the importance of making a positive contribution to the community. Operating responsibly is also an integral part of our business strategy as it just makes good sense. Our customers trust is a precious asset and one that we strive to build and preserve every day. We know that we must have that trust to achieve our vision of being our customers first choice. As a result, we are committed to being a brand that our customers will trust to do the right thing. Corporate responsibility challenges are always evolving and we are focused on learning from experts and adapting our operations As our business grows, we are becoming increasingly focused on building our business sustainably so that our impact on the environment is minimised and our contribution to the communities within which we operate is positive. Being a responsible company is a journey and there is always room for improvement but we are striving towards a sustainable future for our company, franchise partners, suppliers, employees and the communities in which we operate. We are determined to work with our stakeholders to continuously improve our performance. Our stakeholders Stakeholders are those individuals, organisations and groups whom we affect and who affect us. Our stakeholders are diverse and include: Customers more than 1.7 million Australians who visit us every day. These are a wide range of people from families to senior citizens who come to our restaurants in cities, suburbs, regional centres and small towns all over Australia. Business partners our 258 franchisees and all of our 9,000 suppliers. Employees more than 90,000 people employed in our restaurants and offices all over the country. Opinion leaders and experts government, health professionals, environmental groups, media and more. These are the people we learn from and consult with on a range of issues affecting our business. Stakeholder consultation We use various tools and resources to engage with our stakeholders on the issues that matter to them. These Each year we initiate numerous meetings with stakeholder organisations to listen to their feedback, update them on our business plans and discuss solutions which meet the needs of both parties. We have conducted personal meetings with government departments, health and nutrition bodies, emergency services, law enforcement agencies, employee unions, industry associations, local councils, other quick service restaurants, environmental groups, animal welfare organisations and other special interest groups. Details of some of these alliances and relationships are outlined further in this report. Understanding our customers and their expectations and attitudes is also very important to us and as a result we conduct continual, comparative research on a quarterly basis. This research addresses all areas of our business. Based on this research, other feedback from stakeholders, public debate and our own understanding of the impacts of our business we have identified and prioritised the corporate responsibility issues that are currently of most importance to our stakeholders and have focused on these in this report. These priorities are: Our menu choices and food quality; Our marketing practices, particularly in relation to children; The sustainability of our supply chain; The impact of our operations on the environment and the actions we are taking to minimise them; Our employee practices and training opportunities; Our contribution to the community on a local and national basis. Some of these areas present ongoing challenges for us and in others we are very proud of our standards and achievements. We are consulting with experts and working hard to develop strategies to deal with those priorities that currently present a challenge. At the same time we are continuing to innovate and lead the way in other areas of responsible business practice. 8 9

7 Kilojoule labelling on menu boards was introduced nationally in Salad or Fries became a standard option with every Extra Value Meal in The sodium content in our cheese will be reduced by 20% in 2012, impacting 14 menu items. Today, 1 in 3 Happy Meals sold include either a Seared Chicken Snack Wrap, apple slices, low-fat flavoured milk, fruit juice or water. In 2012 we introduced lamb to our menu for the first time. 3 FOOD AND NUTRITION 10 11

8 Maintaining customer trust Our customers choose McDonald s because they love our food and trust us to serve safe, hot and fresh food to them every time they visit. Over the past decade McDonald s has been on a journey to address community concerns around the nutritional value of our menu items and we have made many positive changes. Some of these include introducing healthier options for both adults and kids, ensuring nutrition information is easily accessible so customers can make informed choices and taking significant steps to address community concern regarding the marketing of our food, specifically to children. We actively communicate with experts and informed third parties to help guide our menu decisions. We have a close, ongoing working relationship with The Food Group Australia Accredited Practising Dietitians and we turn to them regularly for advice and information about nutrition. We also consult regularly with government departments, health and nutrition bodies, research groups and nutritionists. Likewise, we regularly ask our customers what they want from us. Amongst other forms of research, our ongoing customer satisfaction survey tracks customer perceptions of their most recent visit to McDonald s. Customers are asked to rate their overall satisfaction with their visit plus provide detailed views on the following attributes: value for money; speed of service; friendly staff; taste of food; cleanliness; hot food and order filled correctly. In addition we operate a customer service phone line and system to answer questions and receive feedback from the public. In 2011, the customer service department received 88,163 s, phone calls and letters from the public. Of these contacts, 36,706 were complaints with the remaining 51,457 contacts being questions, compliments or comments. Food safety We are proud of McDonald s food safety record in Australia but will never be complacent. We continue to be vigilant about food safety standards and collaborate with government, industry bodies and other experts to support innovation and improvement in food safety practices. To ensure the integrity of our food we have stringent food safety procedures in place at every stage of the food preparation process. Our food safety plan is based on the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) approach. A HACCP plan identifies hazards to which products might be exposed and the critical points where control measures must be in place. It then establishes a system for monitoring them as well as plans for corrective action. Every restaurant has a HACCP-based plan in place and every supplier is required to have a written and externally-verified HACCP plan for every food and packaging product supplied to the McDonald s Australia system. As part of our comprehensive HACCP plans hundreds of different safety and quality inspections and checks are in place to monitor food as it moves through our supply chain to our customers over our restaurant counters. As an example, a meat patty undergoes 52 quality checks before it arrives in a restaurant. The results of these checks are recorded which means it is easy to verify that procedures have been followed. Healthier menu options Research tells us that many of our customers view our healthier menu options as a critical element of our corporate responsibility. McDonald s Australia is committed to providing appealing, healthier menu items for our customers and as a result our menu is regularly reviewed and changes made. Working closely with Accredited Practising Dietitians at The Food Group Australia a number of menu changes have been made over the past decade to improve the nutritional value of our food. We will continue to review and update our menu based on customer and stakeholder feedback. In a world first, early in 2007 nine McDonald s meals earned the Heart Foundation Tick indicating that these menu options had been independently tested to ensure they met the Heart Foundation s strict nutrition and promotion standards. Our aim was to help our customers more confidently make healthier choices when visiting our restaurants. In 2011 the National Heart Foundation ended its Tick licensing program in the quick service restaurant sector. This unfortunately meant that McDonald s was no longer able to participate in the Heart Foundation Tick program. However our positive relationship with the National Heart Foundation continues and a range of healthier options remains on the menu. Our current Happy Meal menu means parents and children can choose the meal components that best suit their nutrition requirements and taste preferences. The Happy Meal menu includes the Seared Chicken Snack Wrap, Fruit Bag, CalciYum low-fat flavoured milk, juice and water as well as traditional favourites such as Chicken McNuggets, small Fries and Cheeseburger. McDonald s gets grilled In a first for the quick service restaurant industry, in 2012 McDonald s Australia gave independent production company WTFN the opportunity to access-all-areas, inviting cameras to capture a complete and candid look at McDonald s food supply chain and create a television documentary. The documentary reviewed and revealed the journey the food takes, from the Australian farmers who supply to McDonald s, through to the final menu items available in the restaurant. Filmed over a period of one week in January, the documentary invited six everyday Australians, from across the country, behind-the-scenes and asked for their honest opinions. The final documentary called McDonald s Gets Grilled aired on Channel Seven on 2nd April to over one million viewers and was an important step towards dispelling some of the myths and misconceptions about our food. The documentary can be seen in full on the McDonald s Australia YouTube channel at McDonaldsAustralia. To continue our focus on being transparent and open with our customers, we re also planning to open our kitchen doors to the public in the near future. Customers will be able to take a tour behind the counter at McDonald s and see how Big Macs, Fries and Bacon and Egg McMuffins are made

9 Our food and nutrition journey over a decade ( ) McDonald s CEO Guy Russo starts attending obesity forums and meetings with key organisations such as Diabetes Australia and the Obesity Taskforce. A range of core menu improvements are launched including: A reduction in the sugar content of our buns. Our buns contain no more than 5 per cent sugar which is similar to the sugar content of hamburger buns found in a supermarket. New white meat chicken nuggets. McDonald s vegetable oil blend is improved so that it is virtually free of trans fatty acids and meets standards for healthier oils. A range of sodium reduction projects are begun across a range of products including dressings, sauces, bread and chicken. Seared chicken launches in a range of salads and burgers. A range of menu enhancements are launched including wraps fortified with fibre. A new healthier choice Happy Meal item is added to the menu the seared chicken Snack Wrap. McDonald s and other quick service restaurants introduced the Quick Service Restaurant Initiative for Responsible Advertising and Marketing Communications to Children. As a member of the Australian Food and Grocery Council Quick Service Restaurant Forum McDonald s is an active participant in the Australian Government s Food and Health Dialogue. The Dialogue s primary activity is action on food innovation, including a voluntary reformulation program across a range of commonly consumed foods. The reformulation program aims to reduce the saturated fat, added sugar, sodium and energy, and increase the fibre, wholegrain, fruit and vegetable content across nominated food categories. The sodium content in our cheese is reduced by 20%, impacting 14 menu items Salads Plus menu is launched including salads, fruit parfait, Chicken Foldover and a Lean Beef Burger. An alternative Happy Meal is introduced, consisting of a toasted cheese and tomato sandwich, sultanas and orange juice with less than 6 grams of fat per serve. McDonald s begins to consult with Accredited Practising Dietitians at The Food Group Australia. The Quickstart breakfast menu is introduced and includes breakfast cereals, yoghurts, juices and fruit cups. New warm chicken salads are added to the menu. Deli Choices menu launches. Three out of seven products contain less than 10g fat. McDonald s participates in the DAA (Dietitians Association of Australia) conference. McDonald s Australia is the first national restaurant chain to earn the Heart Foundation Tick on a range of meals. McDonald s wins best stand at Dietitians Association of Australia conference. Happy Meal Choices introduced and includes fruit bag, apple juice and water. A choice of Garden Salad or Fries with any Extra Value Meal is introduced. A healthier option for breakfast is added to the menu Uncle Tobys Oats with Apple and Sultanas. The sodium content of Crispy Chicken Strips is reduced by over 40 per cent

10 Nutrition information Sustainable coffee that tastes good too With 687 McCafés (as at 31 December 2011) in Australia, McDonald s is the biggest coffee shop chain in the country. As such, we believe it is important to offer our customers a great tasting coffee which also supports coffee workers, their communities and the environment. To do this we continue to ensure all coffee is sourced from Rainforest Alliance certified farms. In just one year McDonald s Australia has sourced approximately 1.5 million kilograms of coffee beans from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms. 16 McDonald s is committed to helping our customers make informed decisions about their food choices. In 2012 we introduced menu board labelling which provides clear kilojoule content information for customers prior to their purchase decision. In 2004 we introduced nutrition labelling on our packaging. This was enhanced in 2006 to include percentage Daily Intake figures. Nutrition information for all of our products has also been available on the McDonald s corporate website since it was developed. adding lamb to the menu Responding to the popularity of lamb in Australia, The Serious Lamb Burger and The Serious Lamb Taster were introduced to the menu in The Serious Lamb Burger included a lamb pattie, tomato, beetroot, aioli, tomato sauce, onion and an egg. The Serious Lamb Taster incorporated some of the flavours from The Serious Lamb Burger, in a wrap. The new menu items were developed after 18 months of planning. The process began with customer research and included working with local Australian lamb suppliers to ensure the continuous supply of meat and significant testing to develop the right flavour profile. The lamb products were on the menu for 12 weeks in 2012 and the success of the innovation means that lamb is likely to return to the menu at a later date. The lamb was being sourced from farmers in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia and provided another positive opportunity for McDonald s to work with Australian producers. The Rainforest Alliance is an independent, non profit environmental organisation with over 20 years experience in the development and promotion of standards in sustainable forestry, farming and tourism. To learn more about the Rainforest Alliance go to After listening to feedback from our customers, our focus continues to be improving the taste and quality of our coffee. To do this we introduced a richer, darker coffee blend more suitable for the Australian palate, embarked on a national program to make selected crew into dedicated baristas and standardised equipment maintenance across every McCafé. Consumer research has already indicated this improvement program has been a success with a Canstar Blue survey conducted in September 2011 indicating that McCafé now has the most satisfied customers of all the major coffee chains in Australia. 17

11 Toys and McDonald s We have always used toys and characters with our foods as a response to the desire of parents for their child s McDonald s experience to be a fun and special occasion. However we recognise there is some community concern around the use of our toys in our promotions and so we have reduced our toy advertising on television by 80 per cent since Our toy advertising now represents only three per cent of the total McDonald s Australia media budget. This is down from 11.3 per cent in As a participant of the Quick Service Restaurant Initiative for Responsible Advertising and Marketing Communications to Children, when using these characters, toys and personalities as part of a promotion for food or beverages to children under 14 years, the food or beverage used will be one of our healthier options. Children s sponsorships Since our first restaurant opened McDonald s and its franchisees have always given back to the communities in which we operate and we are proud to be providing much needed support to various grassroots organisations. The main purpose of our support is to add value to the community, and to encourage kids to be active and embrace balanced lifestyles. From the very outset, all sponsorships are defined by agreed parameters by both organisations involved. We have a policy in place regarding the types of vouchers made available to children as part of our sponsorship agreements. The policy states that all children s vouchers must offer a healthier choice and that a carer or parent must be present if a child under 14 years wants to redeem the voucher. Responsible marketing Being a favourite place for children, we know we have a responsibility to communicate appropriately with families and young people. Due to increased stakeholder and community concern around marketing practices to children, in 2009, McDonald s Australia instigated the introduction of the self-regulatory Quick Service Restaurant Initiative for Responsible Advertising and Marketing Communications to Children. Along with other quick service restaurants, the Australian Association of National Advertisers and Australian Food and Grocery Council this initiative provides industry standards and guidelines for advertising to children. All members of the Initiative agree to abide by these guidelines. The key to this agreement is that when we are promoting food and beverages primarily to children under 14 years we will only use foods that are healthier options. For a meal to be considered a healthier choice it should reflect general principles of healthy eating as defined by credible nutrition authorities and must comply with defined criteria for energy, saturated fat, sugar and sodium. These criteria were developed by a team of Accredited Practising Dietitians in consultation with national guidelines and authorities on children s nutrition. As part of the joint initiative, a complaints mechanism has been established whereby consumers can make a complaint directly to the Advertising Standards Bureau providing a single speedy source for complaint resolution. As part of the Initiative, an independent organisation Healthy Kids was contracted to monitor company compliance with the Initiative. At the end of 2011 Healthy Kids published its first analysis and the report found widespread compliance with the Initiative

12 Over 90 per cent of McDonald s food and packaging is sourced or manufactured in Australia. Animal health and welfare standards meet or exceed all Australian requirements and 69 animal health and welfare audits of suppliers were conducted in 2010 and A new McFlurry Cup design has reduced plastic use by more than 47 tonnes per annum. A new napkin dispenser will reduce napkin wastage by 40 per cent and reduce outer carton packaging by 42 tonnes per year. Used cooking oil from McDonald s restaurants is now being converted to biodiesel to fuel delivery trucks in Victoria. 4 SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAIN 20 21

13 Sustainable supply chain McDonald s supply chain is unique. Our model is based on a culture of partnership and collaboration which makes it possible for us to serve consistently safe and high quality food. It is important to McDonald s that our suppliers operate sustainable and profitable businesses and benefit from their partnership with us. It is equally important to us that we source our products in a responsible and ethical manner that contributes to the development of sustainable agriculture and food manufacturing processes. The scale and complexity of the McDonald s supply chain presents some unique challenges and as a result there is a global governance structure in place that guides McDonald s work towards its sustainable supply vision. For more information about our global supply chain policies and programs please go to Vision We envision a supply chain that profitably yields high-quality, safe products without supply interruption while leveraging our leadership position to create a net benefit by improving economic, ethical and environmental outcomes. Economic - We envision delivering affordable food, engaging in equitable trade practices, limiting the spread of agricultural diseases, and positively impacting the communities that our suppliers operate in. Ethical We envision purchasing from suppliers that follow practices that ensure the health and safety of their employees and the welfare and humane treatment of animals in our supply chain. Environmental - We envision influencing the sourcing of our materials and ensuring the design of our products, their manufacture, distribution and use to minimise lifecycle impacts on the environment. Viewing our responsibilities in this type of holistic manner, we consider our priorities for food safety, quality and affordability in conjunction with our ethical, environmental, and economic responsibilities, as we make purchasing decisions and evaluate supplier performance. Economic responsibility McDonald s is committed to supporting Australian producers and manufacturers and our first preference is always to source produce from within Australia whenever it is viable and appropriate to do so. We use a very high proportion of Australian sourced food with over 90 per cent of our food and packaging needs manufactured in Australia. In 2011 McDonald s Australia spent more than $669 million on Australian produce. This included purchasing: More than 381 million hamburger buns; More than 86 million English muffins; Almost 84 million kilos of potatoes; 26 million kilos of beef; 720,000 kilos of sliced and diced apples; 18 million kilos of chicken; More than 91 million eggs; More than 10 million kilos of Australian grown fresh produce, primarily tomatoes and lettuce; and 43 million litres of milk (including shake and sundae mix). The standard of McDonald s products in Australia has been recognised internationally resulting in exporting success. For example, we export more than 49 million kilos of Australian beef each year which is used in McDonald s restaurants in South East Asia, Japan and the United States. McDonald s does not own any businesses that supply to McDonald s, however there are suppliers that have facilities dedicated to McDonald s production. We also have long term relationships in place with many of our Australian suppliers, for example, we have been working with Ingham for 25 years and Quality Bakers for 40 years. Several of our egg suppliers have been providing us with fresh eggs for many years including Pace Farms in NSW (22 years), Farm Pride in Victoria (23 years), Sunny Queen in Queensland (31 years) and Novo in three states (22 years). Some 10 per cent of our suppliers supply 82 per cent of our product needs in Australia, and some of our most significant supply partners are: OSI beef, chicken and fish; Keystone Foods beef; Ingham Enterprises chicken products; Simplot fries and hash browns; McCain fries and hash browns; Fresh Start Bakeries buns and muffins; Fonterra cheese, milk, shake and sundae mix and yoghurt; and Martin Brower distribution. There are five key characteristics that shape our relationship with these strategic suppliers. 1. We strongly believe that long term partnerships outperform a short term transactional approach. 2. Transparency, inclusion and trust are critical components of these relationships. 3. We choose the long term benefit of the entire System first, rather than short term gains for any single part of the System. 4. Financial implications for all parties are taken into account in every decision, with the goal of achieving a win-win result wherever possible. 5. Rather than focus on crisis management, we anticipate potential issues and take proactive action to prevent them. In this way, the three legged stool of the McDonald s System franchisees, suppliers and corporate employees work effectively together to achieve the ultimate goal of supplying safe, quality food to the restaurants, whilst also enabling us to deliver on the value component of our customer promise

14 McDonald s, Martin Brower and Foodbank In 2011 McDonald s and our distribution partner Martin Brower joined forces with Foodbank Australia to help eliminate hunger by providing charities and community groups with fresh food. McDonald s donates surplus ingredients such as lettuce, tomatoes, onions and sauces and Martin Brower puts its full logistic capabilities to the task of ensuring that all food which could be of use to Foodbank makes it to their warehouses in plenty of time for distribution. The donated food is used by hostels, shelters and drop-in centres for preparing meals for people in need. From the beginning of the relationship in November 2011 until July 2012, McDonald s and Martin Brower have worked together to donate 29,968 kilos of fresh food to Foodbank. We are really pleased to have McDonald s and Martin Brower on board, said Foodbank Australia s CEO Jon Webster. This relationship helps us with our goal of providing more fresh food to welfare agencies and is another step towards achieving our vision of an Australia without hunger. Ethical responsibility We know that our influence in the marketplace brings with it a responsibility to ask for more than quality and price. Our progress in relation to an ethically responsible supply system is motivated by our commitment to our customers, leadership on sustainability issues and our desire to do the right thing. Supplier workplace accountability The foundation of our program is our global Code of Conduct for Suppliers which outlines McDonald s minimum requirements in the areas of employment and workplace practices, including health and safety. Supplier workplace accountability audits are conducted regularly with our core suppliers to ensure they are meeting our social responsibility expectations. The primary aim of the program is to protect the health, safety, and human rights of workers. In 2010 and 2011, 77 supplier workplace accountability audits were conducted with suppliers in Australia. Animal health and welfare We consider animal health and welfare to be of great importance and recognise that our responsibility as a purchaser of food products includes working with our suppliers to ensure high standards of animal handling. Our animal health and welfare expectations currently meet or exceed all minimum standards in Australia. We adhere to McDonald s global guiding principles in relation to animal health and welfare which express our commitment to ensuring animals are free from cruelty, abuse and neglect. Our animal health and welfare guidelines are based on technical standards and a comprehensive audit program which was developed using the knowledge and assistance of third party experts. To ensure supplier compliance with our animal health and welfare principles, our beef, poultry and pork suppliers processing plants are regularly audited by independent third party auditors from Ausmeat. In 2010 and 2011, 69 animal welfare audits of our suppliers were conducted. The audits use a standard protocol based on a methodology developed by McDonald s Global Animal Welfare Council with the assistance of Dr. Temple Grandin, a leader in innovative animal welfare research and handling practices. While we are a significant purchaser of beef, chicken and eggs in Australia, in most cases we only purchase a small percentage of the overall market. As a result, it is often most effective if we work more broadly with the relevant industry associations, as well as directly with our suppliers, to encourage and support animal welfare initiatives in individual industry sectors. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef Australia McDonald s is a founding member of the Roundtable for Sustainable Beef Australia (RSBA) which is a multistakeholder industry group focused on advancing continuous improvements in the sustainability of beef production in Australia. Other members of the RSBA include the World Wildlife Fund, the Cattle Council of Australia, Merck, JBS and Teys Australia. RSBA is working towards creating an Australian beef industry in which all aspects of the beef supply chain are environmentally responsible, socially equitable and economically viable. We believe that participating in a whole of industry approach is the most effective way to make a difference. The group is taking a leadership role in the industry and will champion the adoption of best practices across the entire beef supply chain. RSBA is a part of the larger Global Roundtable of Sustainable Beef which includes the world s largest processors, food service companies, retailers, environment NGOs and animal health companies

15 Environmental responsibility Our environmental guidelines for suppliers can be viewed at Packaging initiatives Our responsibility to the environment starts with the fresh ingredients at the farm and the design of our food packaging, and extends through food manufacture, to our restaurants, customers, and waste disposal. We aim to work with our suppliers to assist them to provide us with an uninterrupted, long term supply of quality food and packaging in a way that minimises our impact on the natural environment. We also aim to encourage the protection of resources that our suppliers share with the communities in which they operate. We use a scorecard to measure supplier environmental performance for water, energy, waste and emissions related to the manufacture of McDonald s product. Our suppliers of beef, poultry, potato and bakery products have been reporting on these parameters since 2005 and we have recently expanded this to incorporate packaging and Happy Meal toy manufacture. Reporting is conducted annually and significant improvements have been tracked by many of our suppliers. The scorecard is a global tool to monitor supplier performance and manage their environmental impacts and Australia was one of the first McDonald s markets to implement the program. In Australia we also have specific issues relevant to our country and climate that we are working with our suppliers to address. The challenges of extreme weather and climate events present real issues for farming in Australia and we work with our suppliers to support strategies for sustainable supply of produce. We also engage with peak bodies and industry associations to explore issues of concern, discuss innovations and offer our support to industry-wide improvements in agriculture and food manufacture. Sustainable packaging and waste management When it comes to packaging and waste we are continuing to explore options to decrease our environmental impact. Our first priority is to reduce the resources and materials being used wherever possible. Where we can t reduce our materials, our aim is to reduce waste to landfill. We continue to seek ways to incorporate reuse and recycling into our restaurants and we see this as one of our greatest opportunities for improvement. Packaging McDonald s is a signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant which is an agreement to reduce the environmental impacts of consumer packaging through: designing packaging that is more resource efficient and more recyclable; increasing the recovery and recycling of used packaging from households and away from home sources; and taking action to reduce the incidence and impacts of litter. As part of our commitment to the Australian Packaging Covenant, McDonald s Australia reports regularly and publicly on our progress against our formal action plan. Our action plan and reports can be viewed at and is also available on our website. Our choice of packaging is an important part of ensuring our customers receive their food and beverages at the right temperature and in an easy manner to consume. Our aim is to maintain the highest standards of safety and quality whilst reducing source materials used and increasing recycled content. We continue to make headway. Environmental impact is one of five criteria incorporated into McDonald s process of developing food and beverage packaging. The other four criteria are functionality, cost, availability of materials and impact on operations. From an environmental perspective, we aim to make our packaging sustainable from the outset. We continued to use recycled raw materials in our consumer packaging, where possible. In ,824,885 kg of recycled raw materials were used. A new four flap McFlurry Cup has been developed which eliminates the need for a lid on the cup and will reduce plastic use by tonnes per annum. The new Xpressnap napkin and napkin dispenser was recently introduced into restaurants and is expected to decrease napkin wastage by 8000 tonnes or approximately 40 per cent per annum. The SCA Xpresssnap has an independent environmental certification from Environmental Choice North America. The added benefits include reduction in use of outer cartons by 42 tonnes per annum and fuel savings with fewer cartons transported and stored. Total weight of consumer packaging sold into the Australian market Description 2011 Paper and cardboard Plastics (incl non-recyclable) Total 22,251,794 kg 4,101,406 kg 26,353,200 kg We are committed to promoting the efficient and responsible use of wood and wood-based products, ensuring the fibre for our packaging comes from legal and acceptable sources. As part of this commitment, continuous assessment of our packaging suppliers is being conducted to examine their sourcing practices. Based on the results of the assessment we work with them to outline action plans for improvement as applicable. Our packaging suppliers purchase paper and paperboard primarily from New Zealand, Australian and European suppliers. 77 per cent of the fibre in our paper packaging is now covered by CoC certification (71 per cent FSC CoC). The combined total 26 27

16 of virgin fibre covered by CoC certification and recycled fibre is 93 per cent of our paper packaging (percentage based on 2010 data). CoC certification tracks material through the production process from the forest to the consumer, including all successive stages of processing, manufacturing and distribution. Waste Management Waste reduction and management is a key priority for the business but continues to be a challenge. We have just completed a Back of House recycling trial in 25 restaurants aiming to divert more than 60 per cent of waste from landfill. As part of the recycling initiative, the restaurants separated organics (food and liquid), cardboard and general waste on site. The organics were then transported to a compost facility, the cardboard recycled and the general waste is separated into recyclable waste streams at the waste collector s facility. The trial has been successful in increasing landfill diversion rates over a short space of time however there were issues with waste contamination. Based on these learnings, we will continue to trial Back of House recycling in the restaurants and expand into the market when this issue is resolved. Achieving effective packaging recycling is an important priority for us and reaching an effective solution is currently a focus for the business. Transport and distribution McDonald s Australia s distribution partner, Martin Brower, is dedicated to the distribution of McDonald s restaurant supplies and to ensuring every restaurant is equipped with the required amount of produce and packaging. The timing of each delivery and the quantities delivered is obviously critical to ensure uninterrupted supply for our restaurants and therefore, customers. Across Australia 1,612,456km of transport was avoided in 2011 as a result of inventory optimisation at restaurants. This accounts for a reduction in fuel usage of 12 per cent or 599,429 litres. In 2011 McDonald s Australia started using The Sustainability Footprint Assessment (SFA) which is a web-based tool which gathers data from Distribution Centres operations across the McDonald s Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa logistics supply chain. The reports produced by the SFA show the energy usage and carbon emissions of Distribution Centres and their truck fleets in a way that identifies opportunities for improvement. A baseline from 2010/11 has been established which has enabled the setting of energy reduction targets and in the future we will be able to measure and report on results. Converting used cooking oil to biodiesel In an innovative move, used cooking oil from McDonald s restaurants is now being converted to biodiesel and used to fuel restaurant delivery trucks across Victoria. This closed loop recycling scheme works by collecting used cooking oil from the restaurants, the oil is then delivered by McDonald s transport partner, Martin Brower, to a Neutral Fuels processing plant and at the same time the delivery truck is re-fuelled with 100 per cent biodiesel. The conversion of used cooking oil to biodiesel is a great fit with our sustainability strategy offering both environmental and economic benefits. Implementing this scheme in Victoria alone looks set to reduce carbon emissions by 730 tonnes per year which is the equivalent of flying from Sydney to London 260 times. As production facilities become available, this recycling scheme will be rolled-out to McDonald s restaurants all over Australia. The roll-out will make a significant difference to our transport carbon footprint and is an excellent example of our restaurants and supply partners working together. Converting used cooking oil to biodiesel brings many environmental benefits including: the ozone forming potential of biodiesel combustion is approximately 50 per cent less than that of fossil diesel; compared to fossil diesel, biodiesel exhaust emissions of sulfur oxides and sulfates are virtually non-existent; the well to wheel life cycle analysis of converting used cooking oil to biodiesel shows that the amount of carbon dioxide and equivalents emitted is reduced by nearly 80 per cent compared to fossil diesel. Biodiesel provides significant sustainability advantages over non-renewable fuels and this model of biodiesel does not impact food security as it uses a by-product (ie. used cooking oil) rather than virgin grains or seeds

17 In 2011 McDonald s opened the first Green Star quick service restaurant in Australia accredited by the Green Building Council of Australia. An employee booklet of 40 sustainability tips for home and office was launched to celebrate 40 years of McDonald s in Australia. New environmental best practice guidelines make it easier to choose and implement sustainability initiatives in the restaurant. New landscape guidelines for restaurants focus on water conservation, the use of native and drought resistant plants and advanced storm water retention methods. 5 Environmental responsibility 30 31

18 Working towards environmental sustainability McDonald s has always strived to be an environmentally responsible business and we have made significant changes throughout the history of our operations as our understanding of environmental impacts has improved. Pillar 1: corporate operations Aspiration: Leading by example Pillar 2: restaurant operations Aspiration: Making it real in our restaurants Sustainability framework Pillar 3: sustainable operations Aspiration: Long term profitable growth through sustainable supply Pillar 4: advocacy & partnerships Aspiration: Working together to achieve mutual outcomes Pillar 5: culture & communications Aspiration: Walk the talk Now more than ever we consult with experts and third party environment organisations to learn and gain their views on how we can do better. Continual improvement is an important part of McDonald s overall business culture and this attitude also directs our journey towards environmental sustainability. We know that our position as the leading quick service restaurant in Australia brings with it significant responsibility and considerable opportunity to make changes and implement improved business practices. These responsibilities extend from the kitchens of our restaurants to the fields of our produce suppliers and beyond. We have an environment policy in place that underpins all of our decisions and actions. The McDonald s Australia environment policy can be viewed at au. In addition to this policy we operate within a sustainability framework which is designed to assist the entire McDonald s business to define and deliver appropriate initiatives against the major environmental themes of five identified sustainability pillars. To ensure the implementation of initiatives across the business, an environmental sustainability cross functional team has been formalised. The team includes senior staff from multiple areas of the business including restaurant design and construction, supply chain, operations, marketing, legal, IT, finance and more. The team also comprises franchisee representatives from each state. The team meets regularly and is responsible for the progress of our sustainability efforts. Environmental themes Office supplies/materials Energy use direct & indirect Water source, use & reuse Emissions, effluents & waste Our priorities Environmental themes Building/equipment materials Energy use direct & indirect Water source, use & reuse Emissions, effluents & waste All of the pillars in our sustainability framework are important but to date our primary focus and the areas in which we can make the most significant difference are in restaurant operations and sustainable supply. The impact of the McDonald s system on the environment is most significant in our restaurant operations in the areas of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption and waste generation. We therefore continue to concentrate on these key areas in performance management and improvement targets. Environmental themes Climate change Biodiversity Soli, Water, Air Waste Environmental themes Water Waste Energy Product stewardship Environmental themes Governance framework, Corporate, licensee, manager and crew engagement, Business case criteria, KPIs, measurement & reporting Recent customer research (Globescan 2012) supported these priorities and told us that customers want us to focus on waste and recycling, the environmental practices of our suppliers, packaging materials and design, and energy efficiency and climate change. For more information about the environmental practices of our suppliers please see page 22 and for more information about waste, packaging and recycling please see page

19 Saving energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions At McDonald s we are committed to ongoing action to improve the environmental performance of our business. We are working to ensure we stay informed and educated about ways to measure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, what our own impacts are and what the perspectives and expectations are from all of our stakeholders. We are also sharing information within McDonald s globally so that we can learn from each other and collectively find opportunities to use resources such as energy and water more efficiently. In our operations, energy use accounts for the bulk of carbon dioxide emissions so our focus in this area is primarily on reducing electricity consumption. McDonald s participates in the federal government s Energy Efficiencies Opportunities (EEO) Program which obligates corporations that use an amount of energy over a specified threshold to undertake assessment of energy efficiency opportunities and report on the outcome of those assessments. Our public report for this program can be found at /about-us/responsibility. We are also required to report our greenhouse gas emissions under the federal government s National Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reporting (NGER) Act and the reports are published online by the Department of Climate Change at Restaurant energy use Current energy use (2010/2011): 4.04 GJ per 1000 transaction counts As we build new restaurants and update our older restaurants, we are installing more efficient fittings and equipment and these are making a significant difference to our energy use. Standard practices to reduce energy use introduced to the McDonald s System now include: New McDonald s restaurants now use Low Oil Volume (LOV) Fry Vats. LOV Fry Vats have a reduced size frying area, therefore using less oil and energy to heat oil. LOV fryers improve cooking efficiency, and provide environmental benefits as they use approximately four per cent less energy than previous models and due to the automated filtration system, reduce the amount of oil used by approximately 40 per cent. McDonald s restaurants now use a three platen cooking grill. The three platen grill has reduced the conventional cooking platform size, delivering improved energy efficiency. Energy savings are estimated at approximately 25 per cent compared to previous models of cooking grills. LED carpark lights are now standard in all new restaurants. These lights use 50 to 70 per cent less energy than traditional metal halide lamps. Over 50 Golden Arches pylons have changed to LED lighting and the remaining restaurants are expected to change in coming years. Lighting controls are now standard in new and remodelled restaurants. These link to the internal or external lighting systems and dim the lights according to the level of daylight available. A trial of internal light level sensors showed a 29 per cent energy saving on the dining room lighting. The installation of Power Factor Correction (PFC) equipment was identified as an energy efficiency opportunity across our existing restaurants as it ensures every kilowatt of energy consumed produces useful work and also reduces transmission losses and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. The equipment has been trialed in 25 restaurants and is now recommended for implementation in all appropriate restaurants. A new energy saving system called Capture Jet is being installed in new restaurants. It is an air curtain for our fry vats and grills that prevents cold conditioned air from being removed through the exhausts above the vats and grills. Company owned restaurants are currently changing over to more energy efficient Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning units which is expected to reduce energy use. Water usage Water is essential to the operation of our restaurants. It is a requirement for maintaining our quality, service and cleanliness (QSC) standards and in the preparation of our products. Water is also a by-product of our operations and so we place considerable focus on water quantity and quality for both water supply and waste water. We are participating in the Sydney Water Every Drop Counts business program which involves entering into a voluntary business arrangement with Sydney Water designed to improve water management practices and implement water saving measures. The 95 restaurants participating in the Sydney Water program use an average of 746 kilolitres of water per day. The water used in this selection of restaurants is indicative of water used in restaurants nationally. The reduction of water use has been a key focus for our restaurants for several years now and a number of initiatives are in place which have reduced water use significantly since we began our focus on this area. These include: Rainwater tanks have been installed in many restaurants to harvest stormwater for use in irrigation and toilet flushing and reduce the demand on town water supplies. All new restaurants use water efficient tapware and sanitaryware as required by the federal government s Water Efficient Labelling and Standard (WELS) Scheme, with water flows selected to optimise water efficiency to each task. A water efficient spray rinse gun has become a standard item for wash up sink use. The Enware spray rinse gun has a reduced flow rate of four litres per minute (six star WELS water efficiency rating) saving approximately 60 per cent of spray gun water usage which is equivalent to 300 to 800 litres of water per day depending on the previous spray gun used. The new spray gun also provides hot water electricity savings. Crew and managers are also trained to consider their water usage as they undertake tasks in the restaurant and are encouraged to use water efficiently. We believe that wide community awareness of the importance of saving water has also encouraged our employees to use water more responsibly. A recent focus has been on improving our landscaping policies for all restaurants and new guidelines were introduced in These guidelines educate contractors and field personnel on issues such as water conservation, the use of native and drought resistant plants and advanced storm water retention methods. The guidelines are detailed and include requirements such as the: Planting of shade trees in car parks. Retention of existing trees on the site when a new restaurant is being built. Draining of hard surfaces into bio-retention areas. Capture of roof water and rainwater harvesting, and Minimal use of irrigation. 34 McDONALD S AUSTRALIA CORPORATE CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY and sustainability REPORT REPORT

20 Some of the features of the new restaurant that helped it acquire a Green Star rating include: First Australian Green Star Restaurant McDonald s has opened the first quick service restaurant in Australia to be recognised with Green star certification. The new restaurant in Kilsyth, Victoria has a Four Star Green Star Custom Design rating from the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA). The new restaurant opened at the end of 2011 and the Green Star certification recognises that this restaurant is Australian best practice for quick service restaurant design. While McDonald s already has green components in our existing restaurant building standards, we strive for continuous improvement and so we partnered with the GBCA to produce the McDonald s Custom Tool. The tool provides the basis for the evaluation of the environmental design and construction of our freestanding restaurants. The Tool assesses the attributes of a building through nine categories: Management Indoor environment quality Energy Transport Water Materials Land use and ecology Emissions Innovation An Energy Management System to monitor control, and optimise the performance of the electrical equipment within the restaurant. Estimated energy savings from this new system are expected to be between 20 and 25 per cent on the current system. Rain water harvesting to collect rain water for plant irrigation and the flushing of toilets. Solar panels that produce 14,888 kilowatt hours of energy per annum. A heat recovery system to remove heat from the air conditioning system and generate hot water for washing. Evaporative air conditioning system to supplement fresh air into the kitchen area, therefore decreasing the loss of conditioned air through the exhaust system. LED lighting throughout the restaurant with occupancy sensors. High performance external LED lighting including the capacity to dim selected pole lights to reduce external energy use by approximately 11 per cent. Recycled building materials were used including recycled concrete aggregate, recycled steel and recycled content floor tiles. Low VOC paint, sealants and adhesives and floor coverings. Several monitoring systems have been installed in the restaurant which will provide data on energy and water use. This information will be analysed enabling further enhanced commissioning procedures or operational changes and to assess the viability of the new features in the long term. green building council australia Custom Design 2012 GBCA Chief Executive, Romily Madew said: This is the first time we have worked with a brand in the food and beverage industry to create a custom-built Green Star rating tool and we congratulate McDonald s for being the leader in this industry